CLOwnership & classification
Founded: 2007
Ownership
CIPER (Centro de Investigación Periodística) is a Chilean non-profit foundation specialising in investigative journalism, founded on 1 May 2007 by veteran journalist Mónica González Mujica with a small team. It was originally seed-funded by businessman Álvaro Saieh, controlling shareholder of the COPESA media group, but that backing ended around 2018-2019, after which CIPER restructured as an independent foundation governed by its own board (with González as president).
Funding
Funding now comes mainly from a reader-membership community (several thousand paying 'socios'/partners) plus voluntary donations and grants from international foundations such as Open Society and Ford; it publicly accounts for the amount and origin of its funds. It receives no state or party financing.
Affiliation & stance
CIPER is a non-partisan investigative outlet that scrutinises power across the political spectrum, including its former patron's business interests. Because it is a self-governing non-profit foundation funded by members and grants rather than by any party, state or single owner, it is classified INDEPENDENT.
Editorial lean
- Our estimate
- Center
- Measured from coverage
- Lean Progressivebased on 90
73/100
Factual
63/100
Objective
99
Articles
97
reports
Factual: How accurately its articles report the facts, judged against primary sources and the cross-outlet consensus. Only articles that cite their sources are counted.
Objective: How neutral the writing is — whether reporting keeps the writer’s own preferences and opinions out of the article.
Recent coverage
The casino that doesn't exist: sanctioning influencers
The article discusses the challenges of regulating online gambling, particularly the difficulty of enforcing laws against offshore operators who frequently change their domains. It argues that rather than focusing solely on blocking websites, governments should adopt a more effective approach by maintaining an authorized list of operators and holding influencers accountable for promoting unauthorized services. The author suggests that this method would make it harder for illegal operators to attract customers in Chile. Examples from Australia, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Spain are provided to illustrate how such regulations can be enforced through penalties against influencers and service providers.
Beyond Imacec: the problem behind Chile's low growth
The article discusses Chile's economic performance, highlighting that while recent data suggests some growth, underlying structural issues continue to hinder sustained development. The author notes that Chile has successfully built an export-based economy centered around mining, forestry, agriculture, and salmon farming, but the challenge now lies in using these resources to develop new productive capacities. Recent figures show mixed results: the Imacec index indicated a 2.4% annual increase, yet national accounts revealed a 0.2% contraction in GDP for the second quarter. The author argues that focusing solely on current production metrics misses deeper concerns about productivity and long-term capacity building. Factors such as reduced resource price booms, declining workforce momentum, stagnant investment, regulatory changes, and unfavorable external conditions have contributed to the slowdown. The piece emphasizes the need to address inefficiencies in transforming resources into sustainable productivity rather than attributing the stagnation to isolated factors.
Ukraine: the chosen people and the closed port
The article discusses the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Ukraine's sovereignty and strategic autonomy, arguing that Kyiv has become increasingly dependent on Western support while Russia and Europe pursue their own interests. It critiques the portrayal of Ukraine as a 'chosen people' by religious and political figures, suggesting this narrative obscures the reality of external influence and the heavy human, economic, and territorial costs borne by Ukrainians. The piece highlights Ukraine's military resistance, particularly the 2022 campaign that significantly damaged Russian oil refining capacity, but emphasizes that this success was enabled by substantial Western aid, including over 246 billion euros in assistance by early 2025. The author warns against romanticizing Ukraine's struggle, noting that the conflict is not simply a David vs. Goliath scenario but involves complex geopolitical dynamics.
Arrau puts the focus on faculties that he seeks to keep in a new state of exception: limit mobility and intervene communications
Chile's Minister of Public Security, Martín Arrau, outlined the key powers he considers essential in the proposed new State of Constitutional Exception for Public Safety, which has faced criticism since its announcement. These include temporarily restricting people's mobility and intervening in communications. The proposal has drawn internal scrutiny within the ruling coalition, particularly regarding its potential duration of up to 240 days without congressional approval and the impact on communications. In response, some officials have suggested amendments requiring presidential and congressional agreement, periodic reviews, and removing communication interference. Despite these discussions, Arrau emphasized that certain aspects of the initiative are non-negotiable, such as establishing a police state of exception with specific penal regimes. He stressed the need for pragmatic compromise on other elements to secure support for this legal tool.
The Quiroz brothers
The article discusses the brothers Quiroz, focusing on their involvement in a plan aimed at unlocking investments under the ministerial initiative led by Víctor Quiroz. It highlights that this plan also benefited a company for which he previously served as a consultant. The article references a meeting between the presidential delegate and Víctor Quiroz, suggesting potential connections or influences related to the approval process of the Alto Santorini project. The content appears to explore possible conflicts of interest or lobbying activities associated with the Quiroz family.
Approval of Alto Santorini: record of lobbying by presidential delegate Millions records meeting with Víctor Quiroz
The article reports that according to official records under Chile's Lobby Law platform, presidential delegate Manuel Millones met with Víctor Quiroz, brother of Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz, on June 8, 2026, regarding the development project 'Alto Santorini.' Millones later denied having this meeting during a radio interview, contradicting the official record. The project was approved after being reviewed under a new initiative by the Ministry of Finance aimed at accelerating investment projects. Víctor Quiroz, who represents the investment firm Lote 21 SpA involved in the project, participated in the meeting. The article highlights discrepancies between Millones' public statement and the documented meeting, raising questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
Senator Walker refutes Arrau after assuring that constitutional reform has nothing to do with health
On August 15, 2026, Senator Matías Walker criticized the proposed constitutional reform introduced by the Chilean government, which aims to shape its security agenda. Walker rejected the proposal outright and disputed recent claims by Minister of Security Martín Arrau that the initiative has no direct relation to health. The reform, outlined in a draft document published by La Tercera, includes a new Article 9 bis that would exclude individuals convicted of violent crimes, drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime from state-funded social benefits such as healthcare, education, and labor services. Health Minister May Chomalí warned that this reform conflicts with existing laws like the emergency law. In response, Arrau stated that the reform does not directly concern health and emphasized coordination between sectors. Walker further argued that the reform does relate to health, citing Article 19 N° 9 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to health protection. He vowed not to support the reform, calling it 'a madness.'
Modernising public employment
The article discusses the need for modernizing public employment in Chile, emphasizing that this process cannot be based on simplistic or caricatured views of public service. The author argues that while some citizens are legitimately frustrated with bureaucracy, such perspectives do not adequately address the challenges faced by the state. The piece supports initiatives aimed at broader reforms, which involve specialists from diverse backgrounds, and highlights the importance of including public employees and their unions in the dialogue. It stresses that any reform must balance professionalism, merit, stability, and responsibility, ultimately aiming to improve the State’s ability to serve Chilean citizens.
Senate offices are being investigated for bribery in June; Cepal reduces to 1.6% growth projection for Chile, and 7 out of 10 deaths from influenza were not vaccinated
In Chile, authorities conducted raids on offices of the Senate and former and current officials of the National School Aid and Scholarships Board (Junaeb) as part of an investigation into alleged corruption exceeding $14 million. The probe was initiated after the government detected irregularities in tenders related to the School Feeding Program (PAE). Among those investigated are Senators Sergio Gahona (UDI) and Miguel Ángel Calisto (independent), along with former Communist Party deputy Hugo Gutiérrez and former national director of Junaeb, Camila Rubio. According to Bío-Bío, the investigation focuses on a suspected network that allegedly benefited the company Soser through inflated ration reports, forged certificates, altered records, and bribes to officials.
The eternal debt to institutionalized childhood health
A nurse and university teacher from Chile, Natalia Vergara Navarrete, criticizes the lack of proper healthcare management for institutionalized children under the 'Mejor Niñez' program. She references a report by the Contraloría, which highlights serious deficiencies in health care services, including the failure to use mandatory institutional records for tracking medical attention and medication management. The article points out that despite recent agreements between ministries and cosmetic changes to institutional structures, the situation remains unchanged. It emphasizes the lack of technical supervision in critical procedures such as drug administration and emergency care, and calls for transparency regarding spending, staff qualifications, and the drafting of guidelines. The author questions where the Ministry of Health is in assuming responsibility for these health units and stresses the risks of institutionalization for child development.
Territory and community: a dispute that is not just about words
The article discusses the decision by Chile's Ministry of Women to replace the term 'territory' with 'community' in official documents and instructions. The author argues this change is not merely semantic but has significant implications for understanding spatial inequalities faced by women. She highlights that 'territory' encompasses both physical spaces and broader social dimensions such as cultural, ecological, and political aspects, which are essential for analyzing societal issues. The author criticizes the move as contradictory, noting that while social sciences have advanced in complex understandings of territory, a public institution seeks to reduce this concept to an ideological identity. This shift risks undermining the quality of public policies and the ethical responsibility of the state to comprehend social realities before intervening.
Truck drivers demand the government to activate Mepco due to a sharp rise in diesel prices; former ambassador Pakarati sues the Foreign Ministry for discrimination, and condemns a man for sexual abuse against 13 women from the deaf community
CIPER Chile has compiled a roundup of the most relevant news stories from August 19, 2026. Truck drivers are demanding the government activate the Mepco mechanism to mitigate a significant increase in diesel prices, which is set to rise by $97.4 on Thursday. Former ambassador Pakarati has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. José Pablo Peñafiel was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing members of the deaf community. Additionally, Senapred reported that 580 people were affected by recent incidents, with over 1,100 individuals sheltered in the north. Other highlighted content includes a report on a plan to unlock investments that also benefited a company where the minister was once a consultant, and findings from a Norwegian investigation into corruption and threats related to the adoption of 61 Chilean children sent to Norway between 1987 and 2010.
Health services sued 270 doctors for not completing compulsory stay in the public system
Since 2010, at least 270 doctors in Chile have been sued for abandoning or failing to complete their mandatory Public Service Period (PAO), a requirement for those who received state-funded specializations. These lawsuits aim to recover over $37.7 billion through fines, but according to judicial records, only 2.8% ($1.053 billion) has been collected. The law also prohibits these professionals from being hired or appointed by the state for six years. Investigations revealed that at least 45 of these professionals returned to public service, some while still under sanctions, and six others worked for the state via medical companies despite outstanding debts. In one case, a dermatologist who completed two years and three months of his PAO at a regional hospital resigned due to poor working conditions, leaving the hospital with only one dermatologist and causing a significant backlog of patients.